Gauge for fluids in tanks



Jan. 12, 1937.. M. SKURET ET AL.

GAUGE FOR FLUIDS IN TANKS Original Filed April 22, 1955 INVENTORSMICHAEL SKI/ 57 JOH/V SEKULA ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1937 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE ApplicationApi-il 22, 1933, Serial No. 687,364Renewed July 16, 1935 This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in a gauge for fluids in tanks.

The invention has for an object the construction of an article asmentioned which is charac-' terized by a longitudinal casing with a sideopening supporting in fixed relation a transparent tube viewable throughthe opening and an arrangement for holding a fluid 'within the tubeafter its insertion within a fluid tank.

Still further, the invention contemplates constructing the casing from apair of opposed longitudinal side elements joined by a plurality ofrings spaced along the length of the casing.

Still further, the invention contemplates the provision of a cup-shapedvalve slidably arranged upon the bottom of the casing and connectingwith an operating rod extending through the transparent tube to theupper end of the casing.

As another object of this invention, an arrangement is contemplatedwhereby additional casing material and additional rod material isadapted for connection respectively with the casing and rod of thedevice so as to extend its length to adapt it for tanks of differentheights.

Another one of the objects of this invention is an arrangement inconjunction with the cupshaped valve for preventing excessivedisturbance of the fluid when the gauge is inserted therein.

In particular; the objects mentioned in the previous paragraph, to beaccomplished by the provision of a disc valve operating in conjunctionwith the cup-shaped valve and operated by rota.- tion of said rod.

A still further object of this invention is the construction of anarticle as mentioned which is 1 simple and durable and which may bemanufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

Forfurther comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device of a type to which thisinvention relates.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the upper portion ofFig. 1, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view 9 Claims. (Cl. 73- 120)of the lower portion of Fig. 1, taken on the line l-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4';

The gaugefor fluids in tanks to which this in- 5 vention is to apply,comprises a longitudinal casing consisting of a pair of opposed sideelements grooves in the sides so as to form a neat construction, inwhich each of the longitudinal sides III is positively held againstlongitudinal motion.

The arrangement of the longitudinal casing is such that it issubstantially formed with side longitudinal openings, that is, the spacebetween the adjacent sides of the members Ill through which thetransparent tube ll may be clearly viewable. The tube ii is arrangedlongitudinally within the casing and held in a relatively fixed positionby the clamping action of the sides of I the casing. 'A red I3 isextended through the transparent tube I I and at the upper end isprovided with a head It by which it may be conveniently moved.

A cup-shaped valve I5 is mounted upon the lower end of the rod l3. Thiscup-shaped valve is formed with an upper ring portion it which slidablyengages upon a reducedend l1 formed on the longitudinal casing. Thegraduated scale 2| is inscribed or in any other manner formed upon thetransparent tube ll so as to give the heights of'contained liquid.

it means is provided for holding the cup-shaped valve in the opened orin the closed position. This means comprises a spring 22 attached uponthe longitudinal casing within the hollow thereof and frictionallyengaging against the sides of the rod l3. The arrangement is such thatthe cupshaped valve may be moved to an opened or closed position andthis position maintained by the action of the spring.

In Fig. 3, a further application of the device has been disclosed inwhich provision is made for adding additional sections upon the deviceso that it is operative for tanks of greater height.

More particularly, a collar 23 is fastened upon ,3 the upper end of thelongitudinal casing and is formed with a. threaded portion 24 adapted tobe engaged by a tubular member 25 which necessarfly extends theoperative length of the casing. similarly, an auxiliary rod 26 engageswithin the an threaded opening formed in the head It for extending theoperativelength oi the rod I3. With the extended unit, its operation issimilar to the operation described. First, the rods 26 and I3 must beadjusted so as to open the cup-shaped valve in the bottom of the deviceand thereaiter,

the casing moved downwards so as to close the bottom end oi the tubeagainst the seat of the valve.

Provision is made so as to reduce to a minimum agitation of the fluidwithin the tank when the device is inserted according to this invention.More particularly, a plurality of openings are formed in the bottom ofthe cup-shaped valve and an additional valve provided for closing theseA collar 3| is fixed upon the rod l3 immediately extended through theseat is inserted down above the seat of the cup-shaped valve so as tohold the rod rotative relative to the cup-shaped valve. The cup-shapedvalve ii is provided with a seat washer 20. A plurality of openings 32are 20 in the bottom of the valve i5. The disc valve 30 is formed withsimilaropenings 33 adapted to register with the openings 32 in oneposition. This action provides for the opening and closing of thediscshaped valve.

The openings 32 are arranged within an area bounded by the periphery ofthe transparent tube II, when the tube is in contact with the valve ofthe seat. Other openings 34 outside of the periphery of the tube Ii arealso provided which extend through the seat washer 20 and the bottom ofthe cup-shaped valve it. These openings 34 register with elongatedopenings 35 formed in the disc valve 33 so that in all positions ofrotation of the disc valve passage through the openings is unrestricted.A peg 35' projects from the bottom of the cup-shaped valve i5 andextends into an accurate peripheral recess 36 formed in the disc shapedvalve 30 so as to limit rotation thereof through approximately moreparticularly from a position in which the openings 32, 33'

are in alignment to a position in which they are out of alignment. Theangular motion of the disc-shaped valve 30 depends upon the distancebetween the openings 32.

The operation of the device will be readilyunderstood from thedescription, but it is pointed out that first the rod i3 should beadjusted so that the disc valve 30 is opened in addition to thecupshaped valve l5 being opened. Then the device into the fluid oithe'tank. As the device moves downward, thefluid may pass out throughthe openings 33, 32, 34 and 35 and so insure a good sample for thegauge. After the cup-shaped valve l-i' strikes the bottom of the tank,the longitudinal casing'should be moved downwards so as to close thecup-shaped valve and entrap the sample. Then the rod i3 should be turnedby turning the head piece ll so as to close the disc valve 30. The gaugemay then be removed and the sample inspected.

While we have shown and described the preierred embodiment of ourinvention, it is to be 7 through its bottom, and another valve forclosin said casing and viewable through said opening,

a rod extending through said tube and having a head at the top disposedat the top end of said casing, a valve-fixed upon the bottom end of saidrod and adapted to close the bottom end of said transparent tube, saidvalve being of cupshape and slidably mounted on the bottom end of saidcasing and having passages for fluid ing said passages.

2. A gauge for fluids in tanks, comprising a longitudinal casing with aside longitudinal opening, a transparent tube longitudinally fixedwithin said casing and viewable through said opening, a cup shaped valveslidably mounted on the lower end of said casing and having sideopenings and bottom openings, a disc valve on the bottom of saidcup-shaped valve, a rod fixed upon said disc valve and rotativelymounted on said cup-shaped valve and extending through said transparenttube, said disc valve being adapted to close said bottom openings.

3. A gauge for fluids in tanks, comprising a 1ongitudinal casing with aside longitudinal opening, a. transparent tube longitudinally fixedwithin said casing and viewable through said opening, a cup shaped valveslidably mounted on the lower end of said casing and having sideopenings and bottom openings, a disc valve on the bottom of saidcup-shaped valve, a rod fixed upon said disc valve and rotativelymounted on said cup-shapedvalve and extending through said transparenttube, said disc valve being adapted to close said bottom openings, saidbottom openings being within the area of said transparent tube for thepassage of fluid into the transparent tube through said cup shaped valveas the gauge is lowered into a fluid tank.

4. A gauge for fluids in tanks, comprising a longitudinal casing with aside longitudinal opening, a transparent tube longitudinally fixedwithin said-casing, and viewable through said opening, a cup-shapedvalve slidably mounted on the lower end of said casing and having sideopenings and bottom openings, a disc valve on the bottom of saidcup-shaped valve, a rod fixed upon said disc. valve and rotativelymounted on said that said other openings are unrestricted. in

either position of the disc shaped valve for the 7 passage of fluidthroughthe cup valve but outside of said transparent tube as the gaugeis raised orlowered into a fluid tank.

5. A gauge for.fluids in tanks, comprising a longitudinal casing with aside longitudinal opening, a transparent tube longitudinally fixedwithin said casing and viewable through said opening, a rod extendingthrough said tube and having a head at the top disposed at the top endof said casing, a valve fixed upon the bottom end of said rod andadapted to close the bottom end of said transparent tube, and means forholding said rod in a position in which said valve is opened or in aposition in which said valve is closed, comprising a spring attachedupon said longitudinal casing and frictionally engaging against saidrod.

6. A gauge for fluids in tanks, comprising a longitudinal casing with aside longitudinal open-q ing, a transparent tube longitudinally fixedwithin said casing and viewable through said opening, a cup-shaped valveslidably mounted on the lower end of said casing and having sideopenings and bottom openings, a disc valve on the bottom of saidcup-shaped valve, a rod fixed upon said disc valve and rotativelymounted on said cup-shaped valve and extending through said transparenttube, said disc valve being adapted to close said bottom openings, andmeans for limiting operation of said disc valve;

'7. A gauge for fluids in a tank, comprising an open bottom casinghaving an open side, a transparent member closing said open side andprovided with depth graduations, a valve projecting below the casing andadapted to contact with the bottom of the tank, guide means between thevalve and lower end of the casing and in direct interengagement forguiding the valve for movement longitudinally of the casing into itsposition intercepting fluid flow into the open bottom of the casing asthe casing is lowered onto the valve when engaging the bottom of thetank, a rod extending axially through the casing to actuate the valveand its upper end accessible at the top of the gauge for manually movingthe valve to and from its closing position and means within the casingand engaging the rod adjacent its midlength for centering and guidingthe same and thus assisting in guiding the valve at ,a point remotetherefrom.

8. A gauge for fluids comprising a casing having an open side, atransparent closure for said open side, a disc-like member including aflexible gasket for engaging the lower edge of the transparent closureand for closing the bottom end of the gauge, telescopic means betweenthe disc-like member and the lower end of the casing for guiding saidmember to and from its closing position, a rod secured to said disc-likemember'for manually moving the same to and from its closing position andfrictional means engaging the rod and tending to secure it and thedisc-like member in whatever position these may be set by the manualshifting of the rod.

9. A gauge for fluids including an open bottom container, provided withmeans at the open bottom forming a valve seat, valvular means guided onsaid container for movement longitudinally of the container to and fromits closing position engaging said seat, said means including a seatwasher provided with openings extending therethrough, a disc valverotatably mounted in said valvular means and provided with an openingfor registering with one of the openings in the seat washer and a rodextending through the container, secured to the disc valve to rotate thesame and thus move the openings to and from mutual registration and saidrod also secured to the valvular means to shift the same relative to itsseat.

MICHAEL SKURE'I'. JOHN SEKULA.

